“Low phosphorus (P) availability in the soil is one of the most limiting factors for crop production (Schachtman et al. 1998 ; Lynch 2007). Plants have evolved different mechanisms in roots in order to increase P acquisition under P-limiting conditions.”

Industrial Ecology: The study of the human-influenced stocks and flows of resources and energy, from the perspective of resources and the environment

Eutrophication: Cultural eutrophication is a form of water pollution. Cultural eutrophication also occurs when excessive fertilizers run into lakes and rivers. This encourages the growth of algae (algal bloom) and other aquatic plants. Following this, overcrowding occurs and plants compete for sunlight, space and oxygen. Eutrophication arises from the oversupply of nutrients, which leads to over growth of plants and algae. After such organisms die, the bacterial degradation of their biomass consumes the oxygen in the water, thereby creating the state of hypoxia.

Material flows analysis: an analytical method to quantify flows and stocks of materials or substances in a well-defined system. MFA can also be applied to a single industrial installation, for example, for tracking nutrient flows through a waste water treatment plant. When combined with an assessment of the costs associated with material flows this business-oriented application of MFA is called Material Flow Cost Accounting. MFA is an important tool to study the circular economy and to devise material flow management.

I reached out to an David Kanter, an NYU professor who studies the nitrogen cycle and fertilizer, a UVM professor who studies phosphorus and has an ecological design lab, and a professor of industrial environmental management and solid waste at Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies (FES).

Interviews with David Kanter at NYU’s Environmental Studies department, who spoke with me at length about nutrient pollution, and Lauren Jabusch at UC Davis’ Department of Ecological and Environmental Engineering, who gave invaluable guidance and insight regarding algae, made my project this semester possible.